Any Bean Info That You Can Give Me!

[shayre]

Hi all:) I recently decided to try to add beans back into my diet for added protein and nutrients. I am nervous. I am very sensitive, and only don't seem to react to products at 5ppm contamination. Anything higher is a reaction. I just read archives, but the info seems dated.

I just made white chicken chili for my family for tonight, and I'm afraid to try it. I need to hear reactions and brands from the super sensitive group!!!!! I also used King Arthur Flour...not sure about that either. It is the weekend and I cannot call for testing info, so I hope that you all can help me? I am also looking for tasty bean dishes that do not include dairy or soy or corn. I am still not able to eat those plus potatoes. I have not tried peppers or tomatoes since they are also nightshades, but might be willing to try. I have not tolerated any kind of vinager, but might try again. I am looking for safe dried beans, canned beans, baked beans for hubby, refried beans for nachos...and whatever other good stuff anyone can tell me about:) I just put frozen Kroger lima beans in some chicken noodle soup, and have to wait a couple of days for a reaction. I am just so nervous about processing contamination!!! I have am hoping to find more nutritious food to eat, and to be creative for my family. I would also love to make regular chili for my family...that I can also eat. I miss eating food with them. I have also begun to use the crock pot, so chilis are easy.

Thank you so much!

[T.H.]

I used to use Rancho Gordo dried beans, ordered on-line from here:

Open Original Shared Link

However, my allergic reaction to just a few beans decided to branch out to all of 'em, so I haven't tried these in a few months, now. :-(

On the bean dish front, avoiding those allergens, that I might be able to add at least a couple ideas to the pot. :-)

Bean falafel

Soak dried beans (we tried this with pinto) overnight. Drain and process them in a food processor for a few pulses, then add salt, onion, and whatever herbs suit your fancy. We've done mexican oregano, garlic, sage, epazote, and a few others. Run through the food processor again until it makes a nice pasty dough. If it is too wet, add more beans. If it is too dry, add a little more onion. Then fill a frying pan with about 1-2 inches of oil and heat. Medium heat is usually good - a tiny ball of dough should cook in 1 minute, if it's at the right temp. Make the dough into small balls (a little smaller than a golf ball), slightly flatten, and drop into the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side and remove to a plate with paper towels on the bottom to absorb the oil.

If the food processor has ground them the right amount, the beans should cook in this short amount of time, and they will be crispy outside and moist inside. We usually serve a dip with them that would go well with mexican foods, like mashed avocado with a little lemon and salt. I also made one that might not work for you, as it was nightshade based, with cooked tomatoes and green chile's. If we weren't going to use a dip, we added more herbs and spices to the falafel themselves.

We've done this with black beans, rio zape beans, chickpeas, and pinto beans, and they all turned out nice. I would NOT do this with kidney beans. Many beans contain low levels of phytohaemagglutinin, a toxic compound, but it's especially concentrated in kidney beans. Boiling for 10 minutes will destroy it, but shorter cooking times and below boiling cooking temperatures (like some crock pot's low setting) can leave too much of it and cause phytohaemagglutinin poisoning.

Another bean dish you can play with would be cuban bean dishes that have banana or plantain added. My husband makes one that uses black beans, chile powder, mashed bananas, and grated dark chocolate. He just cooks the black beans first, mixes the rest in, and nukes it for a bit. He tells me it tastes great but I have never tried it. However, there are a lot of sweet black bean recipes if you look at cuban recipes, and finding ones without dairy, soy, or corn is pretty easy.

Hummus is another one that you can make pretty easily, with just chickpeas, salt, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil blended all together. We just use more olive oil rather than adding tahini, which I understand is how it is done in some parts of the world (just hearsay from an acquaintance from the middle east, though). We've mixed this with meat and put it in lemon wraps, or just had it in the lemon wraps by itself. Dipped falafel and veggies in it, too.

I imagine you could make a few varieties of bean dips, as well, with cooked beans, a few spices, and olive oil.

[dilettantesteph]

I thought I had problems with Rancho Gordo, but I have problems with lots of stuff. When you find a brand, please post about it and I'll give it a try. I grew my own black beans last year and they were good. I need to try to grow more this summer.

[shayre]

I used to use Rancho Gordo dried beans, ordered on-line from here:

Open Original Shared Link

However, my allergic reaction to just a few beans decided to branch out to all of 'em, so I haven't tried these in a few months, now. :-(

On the bean dish front, avoiding those allergens, that I might be able to add at least a couple ideas to the pot. :-)

Bean falafel

Soak dried beans (we tried this with pinto) overnight. Drain and process them in a food processor for a few pulses, then add salt, onion, and whatever herbs suit your fancy. We've done mexican oregano, garlic, sage, epazote, and a few others. Run through the food processor again until it makes a nice pasty dough. If it is too wet, add more beans. If it is too dry, add a little more onion. Then fill a frying pan with about 1-2 inches of oil and heat. Medium heat is usually good - a tiny ball of dough should cook in 1 minute, if it's at the right temp. Make the dough into small balls (a little smaller than a golf ball), slightly flatten, and drop into the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side and remove to a plate with paper towels on the bottom to absorb the oil.

If the food processor has ground them the right amount, the beans should cook in this short amount of time, and they will be crispy outside and moist inside. We usually serve a dip with them that would go well with mexican foods, like mashed avocado with a little lemon and salt. I also made one that might not work for you, as it was nightshade based, with cooked tomatoes and green chile's. If we weren't going to use a dip, we added more herbs and spices to the falafel themselves.

We've done this with black beans, rio zape beans, chickpeas, and pinto beans, and they all turned out nice. I would NOT do this with kidney beans. Many beans contain low levels of phytohaemagglutinin, a toxic compound, but it's especially concentrated in kidney beans. Boiling for 10 minutes will destroy it, but shorter cooking times and below boiling cooking temperatures (like some crock pot's low setting) can leave too much of it and cause phytohaemagglutinin poisoning.

Another bean dish you can play with would be cuban bean dishes that have banana or plantain added. My husband makes one that uses black beans, chile powder, mashed bananas, and grated dark chocolate. He just cooks the black beans first, mixes the rest in, and nukes it for a bit. He tells me it tastes great but I have never tried it. However, there are a lot of sweet black bean recipes if you look at cuban recipes, and finding ones without dairy, soy, or corn is pretty easy.

Hummus is another one that you can make pretty easily, with just chickpeas, salt, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil blended all together. We just use more olive oil rather than adding tahini, which I understand is how it is done in some parts of the world (just hearsay from an acquaintance from the middle east, though). We've mixed this with meat and put it in lemon wraps, or just had it in the lemon wraps by itself. Dipped falafel and veggies in it, too.

I imagine you could make a few varieties of bean dips, as well, with cooked beans, a few spices, and olive oil.

Hi TH! Gosh, I am no cook...that stuff is complicated...but I can start trying that stuff. I don't even have a food processor yet. I am working on trying to learn to cook more things, and getting more kitchen supplies. My family is soooo bored with our foods. I am too. Hey, you are the one who said that you had a hard time finding safe ground beef. I have reacted with my usual "gluten reaction" from my grocery store packed brand, and from Angus Burgers at Whole Foods...I forget which brand. I don't know if I reacted to Applegate burger because it's been so long. But I'm looking for burgers and ground beef. I am so glad to hear from you to ask you this. I usually see what is safe for you...and Dilliansteph...and a couple of others. If you all can eat it, then I feel safe too.

Have you had no success with any kind of beans in the can? There just has to be some out there somewhere! I had the Great Northern Beans last night, so I will know by Wed if I'm reacting to them. However, I also had the Donkey Chips too...so may be hard to tell. I am already getting the stiff neck and back that usually preceeds the gluten symptoms.

[shayre]

I thought I had problems with Rancho Gordo, but I have problems with lots of stuff. When you find a brand, please post about it and I'll give it a try. I grew my own black beans last year and they were good. I need to try to grow more this summer.

Will do! I would love to grow stuff, but then what to do during the winter. My yard is in a subdivision, so it's not really big enough to grown stuff for the whole year...BUT I'D JUST LOVE TO!

[dilettantesteph]

I'm in zone 6 and I covered one of my gardens with garden fabric. I used plumbing pipes to make a structure which is standing up to the snow. It has gotten to 2 degrees yet I am still harvesting cole crops, turnips, rutabaga, beets, carrots, parsnips and probably could lettuce but that garden is collapsed under the snow. Maybe it'll melt and I'll be able to have a look. Just an idea if you're interested. I never knew it was possible until recently.

[love2travel]

I am NOT a super sensitive but the word "beans" caught my eye, as any food-related thread does.

Some easy recipes for you...

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link (look out for the chipotles in adobo - I cannot find any here without wheat so I make my own). If you cannot find it, try adding some McCormick's chipotle chili powder instead.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link (there are a few bean recipes here)

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

P.S. If you do decide to plant beans, plant your own herbs, too! Fresh herbs are far better than dried plus they are extremely safe for us!!

And a vegetarian site that might appeal...

Open Original Shared Link

[T.H.]

Hi TH... I don't even have a food processor yet. I am working on trying to learn to cook more things, and getting more kitchen supplies...

Heya! Yeah, I didn't have a food processor before all this either - got a teeny 3 cup one on sale for about $15 bucks finally, and then this year everyone chipped in and got me this super studly one that I can't wait to use! (Just got it a few days ago...sooooo shiny... ).

Now if only I can become a good enough cook to make it worth the money, LOL.

Sadly, I haven't been able to find beans in a can that worked for me, no. Sorry!

[deinanthe]

I am super sensitive, and have been eating beans from Rancho Gordo almost every day lately and have been fine!

[shayre]

Thank you all for that:)

[love2travel]

As I mentioned above, I am not a super sensitive celiac. However, I do purchase dried beans, lentils and so on and my favourite brand is Clic. Has anyone had any luck with that brand? The other I buy is my store brand.

[Joe0123]

Has anyone tried Sun Harvest brand beans?

[Aly1]

Just jumping in with a little note about King Arthur's flour which you mentioned being nervous about. Not sure if you are oats sensitive but if so, this is not the flour for you as they process oats in the same facility as their flour.

[burdee]

I can tolerate all kinds of beans and/or bean dishes, as long as they don't contain any of my diagnosed allergens. However, I used 'Beano' to digest beans and other 'gassy' vegies (like brocolli, onions, etc.) before meals, UNTIL Beano started adding an alcohol sugar (mannitol?) to their ingredients. I can't tolerate any alcohol sugars due to leaky gut issues. I couldn't understand why a company would make a digestive enzyme which contains something that people with leaky gut (who need help with digestion). Luckily I found another similar produce ('ExcuseMe' which used a corn sugar) which helps me digest beans, etc. w/o getting a leaky gut reaction.

Tonight I made rice and bean casserole for dinner. I often make lentil or black bean soups. We eat fish and poultry, but try to have 2-3 vegan meals per week. Our vegan meals usually feature rice and beans or nuts (like Sunshine burgers). Since I can't tolerate any dairy, egg or soy, I'm glad I have "Excuseme" for beans.

[weluvgators]

I recently moved to Australia and lost my dried bean sources that I had been using safely in the States (not a single brand, but the beans were bulk sourced through our local health food store and home tested for gluten, then washed). Anyway, here in Australia, I am being told that they don't grow beans. All of the dried bean sources I have found so far either have gluten contamination notices or are in bulk bins with no notices. When asking about the bulk bins, I have come to find out that dried beans here are coming from China and are fumigated before/during the importation process. That just doesn't sound so appetizing. Does anyone here know any more? Does anyone know where beans may be grown in Australia? Does anyone know about fumigation of beans? And, finally, can I do any sort of bean farming via container gardens? I am about to give up on beans for now, but I hate to give up such a fantastic source of food . . . I really miss pinto beans right now! Thanks!

[T.H.]

I think you could grow beans via a container garden, yeah, but I don't know about the yield. We used a native bean and it had a small yield per plant, but the variation of yield for different varieties might be a lot.

They're pretty easy to grow, though, they just need a lot of nutrients in the soil, is all. We've been growing them here in the desert, in an area that has a lot of Australian imported plants that do well in our climate and soil, and beans do well here.

Figure if Australian plants do well here, hopefully beans do well over there, yeah?

From what I've seen, some beans make bushes and some are more like runner beans that'll grow up a pole. The pole ones might be better for a container, more beans with less space. The native people here would put a dead fish under the beans and corn that they grew, for fertilizer. We tried that and the beans seemed to do pretty well.

I think the beans were ones that did best on sprouting when you soak them overnight, the night before you plant.

[Gemini]

Just jumping in with a little note about King Arthur's flour which you mentioned being nervous about. Not sure if you are oats sensitive but if so, this is not the flour for you as they process oats in the same facility as their flour.

Open Original Shared Link

I use King Arthur flours routinely and I do not have a problem with certified gluten-free oats. I looked on line at their site and linked their information page. It looks like they do not process oats in the same facility as their gluten-free flours. Could you please reference where you got this information?

[keezyfresh]

edison grainery uses a dedicated facility and tests their legumes to <5 ppm